Magneto flash lamp



March 18 1924.

1,487,502 J. J. WOOD MAGNETO FLASH' LAMP Filed May 4, 1922 4 Inventor: James J.Wood,

His Attorney,

other end is connected to the gear as at 29. The gear 26 meshes with a low speed pinion 30 sleeved on the shaft 24, and in order to avoid interference with the shaft 23 said gear is provided with an elongated opening 31 through which sai-d shaft extends. This arrangement rmits of the use of a gear of relatively arge pitch diameter and because of that fact the force necessary tomove it is correspondingly reduced. The rim of the gear is made thicker than the supporting part so Aas to provide teeth of suflicient size to minimize wear. The p-inion 30 is mounted on a sleeve 32 which extends from the center of the frame outwardly. On the outer end of the sleeve is secured a ratchet wheel 33 and co-operating with it is an over-running pawl 34 which is normally pressed into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel by the spring 35. The pivot for the pawl is carried by a spur gear 36 so that when the segmental gear 26 is moved against the action of the biasing.

or retractile spring said spur gear 36 is caused to revolve but when the segmental gear is moved in the-opposite direc-tion due to the action of its retractile spring the pawl overruns the teeth on the ratchet and the gear 36 continues to revolve in the same direction. In other words, the purpose. of the arrangement is to convert the oscillating movement of the segmental' gear into continuous rotary movement of the spur gear 36.

The large spur gear 36 meshes with a. small intermediate speed pinion 37 which is fixed on lthe revolving shaft 23 and in this manner an increaseof speed of said shaft is obtained. On the opposite end of the shaft 23 a large intermediate speed gear 38 is fixed which in turn meshes with a small pinion 39 that is sleeved on the shaft 24 and in this manner a further multiplication of speed is obtained. On the same sleeve which carries thepinion 39 is a large beveled gear 40 which in turn meshes with a small beveled pinion 41 whereby a further increase of speed is obtained for a given movement of the segmental gear 26. The use o f spur gears for the initial portion of the driving mechanism which are carried by spindles extending perpendicular to the axis of the lamp casing, and bevel gearing for the final portion enables me to arrange the gearing in a casing of small diameter which is so desirable in aY device of this character and also to use a generator of small diameter.

The beveled pinion 41 is secured to a holl low sleeve 42 which in turn is located in a bearing carried by the meeting parts of the frame 21-22. 'The rear part. of the frame is united by two screws 43 located at the sides 'of the bea-ring. On the sleeve 42 is i mounted a disk 44 which carries one part of a centrifugal coupling, the other part being attached to the generator. The coupling includes a pawl 45 and ratchet wheel 20. The construction of this pawl is important. As the lamp depends for its operation on attaining a relatively high rotative speed of the field magnets of the generator, l so design the pawl that its operation is dependent upon centrifugal force. To this end one part of the pawl forms a toot-h for engagement with the ratchet teeth and the other a tail piece 46 which moves outwardly due to centrifugal force and overbalances the tooth and causes the latter to move inwardly into engagement with the ratchet teeth. With such a construction when the speed. of the propelling gears 'falls below that of the spinning generator the tooth will be disengaged from the ratchet and the parts will be free.'4 This is important because if the pawl should drag over the teeth of the ratchet it would act as a brake to decrease the speed of the generator and hence the duration of the li ht for a given impulse of thc actuator. he arrangement also facilitates assembling the parts, since by setting the pawl in its inoperative position, tha-t is to say. with the toot-h and tail both outside the circle defining the ends of the teeth, the generator and its ratchet can-be slipped into the casing from the rear, and

with the certainty of proper engagement of ture winding is connected to the insulated y 'contact 14 which is mounted on the spindle 13, the latter extending 'through the hollow sleeve of the beveled pinion into the area defined by the gear frame. To rent from the contact 14 to the lamp a spring 47, Fig. 3, is provided which has a small opening 48 to receive the contact. From this point the spring extends tothe outside of the gear fra-me, thence along one of its flattened sides to the outerend where it is held by a screw 49 which is located in an insulating bushing. The bushing is held in place by the screw 25 which also unites the outer ends of the frame. From the screw the spring is continued to form the central,

Convey CllI- v 53-which has a screw-threaded recess to Y receive the base of the lamp, said reflector also forming the ground side of the circuit. 'lhe reflector and the lens 54 or other glass is held in place by the nut or shell 55. Y

Referring now to the hand actuator: This comprises a lever 56 which has a pivot 57; the pivot is made with a screw at one end and a slotted eye at the other, said screw serving as the means to unite the main casing with the detachable member 52 which carries the lamp and its associated parts. The lever is made narrow near its pivot and spreads out at the other end to form a suitable gripping surface. The lever is connected to the pivot 57 by a screw, and to the segmental gear by a link 58. The link is provided with a shoulder 59 which is adapted to enga e the inner surfaceof the main casing w en the handle is moved to the position shown in Fig. l which is eye in the pivot 5 the locked, carrying position. That is to say the handle has not only been moved to a position close to the casing but lhas also been moved slightly longitudinally to permit the shoulder' to engage the casing, the latter action being ermitted by the slotted retractile spring 27 tends at all times to move the free end of the actuator lever or handle to the end of its stroke and away from the casing, hence it is' desirable to lock the actuator in the retracted position for greater convenience in carrying the lamp about when not 1n actual operation.

In operation the casing is held in the hand with thefingers arranged to grasp the lever and move it toward the casing. At the inner end of the -stroke the squeezing action of the fingers is released andthe retractile spring restores the lever reparatory to a second operation or impu se. A stroke of the lever for example every few seconds will be suicient to keep the generator field spinning and the llamp lighted.

ln accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, l have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the bestV embodiment thereof,

but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention maybe carried out by other means. y

What I claim as new andEdesire to secure by Letters. Patent of the United States, is .v y y 1.' ln a device of the characterv described, the combinatiom of a casing, a generator locatedwithin the casing and extending lo-ngitudinally thereof, a frame also located within the casing which extends longitudinally thereof and has transverse shafts,

gearing arranged on the shafts and within the frame, a centrifugal coupling forcen- When unlocked the -atorhavin generator, an actuator which extends outside of'the casing for driving the gearing,

a lamp carried by the casing, and means for carrying current from; the generatorV to the lamp.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of acasing, a generator located within the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, a frame also located within the casing which extends longitudinally thereof and has transverse shafts, spur gearing mounted on one of the shafts, cooperating spur and bevel gearing mounted on the other shaft and capable of independent rotative movements, a beveled pinion which meshes with said bevel gear, a shaft for the pinion which is in axial alignment with the generator, a centrifugal coupling for connecting the pinion shaft with the rotor of the generator, an .actuator which extends outside of the casing for driving.

the gearing, a lamp carried by the casing, and means for carrying current from the Y generator to the lamp. I

3.` In a device ofthe character described,

the combination of a casing, a generator located within the casing and extending 1ongitudinally thereof, a frame also located within the casing which extends longitudinally thereof andl has transverse shafts, co-

operating gearing mounted o-n the shafts an overrunning clutch for connecting an l.

disconnecting the gearing on one shaft with thaton the other, a 'segmental gear pivotally supported by the frame which drives a gear on one of the shafts, an actuator for the segmental gear which extends to the outside of the casing, a retractile spring for saidigear, a centrifugal clutch, one member oflwhich is driven bythe gearing, the

other being connected tothe generator, a

lamp carried by the casing, and means for carrying current from the generator tothe lamp.

v4. In a device of the character described, the combination ofa cylindrical casing, a generator located Within the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, sald genera stationary armature and a rotating fie d magnet, the latter also acting as a flywheel, a non-rotating spindle on which the armature is mounted, means for supporting said magnet on the spindle, a frame located in the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, a pair of transverse shafts mounted in the frame, a train of co- .operating gears mounted on the shafts, an

Joverrunning clutch in the train whereby oscillating movement of one gear is converted into continuous' rotary motion of another I,

ear, means connecting the gearing with the eld magnet which includes a centrifugal clutch, a reciprocating actuator whereby successive impulses are imparted to the gear train, a lamp, and means for carrying current from the generator to the lamp.

5.' In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a generator located therein, a frame also located in the casing, and extending lo itudinally thereof, a shaft carried by the rame and extending crosswise thereof, a pinion on one of the shafts, an oscillating segmental gear for driving it, a pivot for the gear mounted on the frame, a gear loosely mounted on the shaft, an overrunning clutch between said pinion and the ear, a beveled gear also mounted on the s aft, a pinion for driving it, a second shaft parallel with the irst which extends across the path of movement of the segmental gear, speed multiplying gearing carried by the shaft which meshes with gearing on the first mentioned shaft, a pinion meshing with the beveled gear on the first named shaft, a centrifugal clutch, one member of which is driven by the beveled pinion, the other being attached to the rotor of the generator, an actuator for the segmental gear, a restoring spring for the gear, a lamp, and means for conveying current from the generator to the lamp.

' 6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a casing, a frame mounted therein and extending longitudinally thereof, a pair of c'ross shafts carried by the frame, low and high speed gearing mounted on one of the shafts, intermediate speed gearing mounted on the other shaft, a segmental oscillating gear carried by the frame for driving the lo'w speed gearing, an overrunning clutch which permits oscillating movements of the segmental gear to be ltransformed into continuous rotary motion of the low speed gearing, a generator, and

` means driven by the high speed gearing for rotating the generator which includes an overrunnlng c utch that permits the gener-A ator to rotate at a speed different from that of the high speed gearing.

:stationary coil Wound armature and a magnet-ized rotating field magnet, a spindle upon which the armature and magnet. are both mounted, the former being fixed in posit-ion while the latter rotates, a removable end cap for the casing at the generator end thereof for releasably holding the generator therein, said cap providing means for preventing the spindle from turning, a contact carried by the spindle which is connected to one end of said coil, the other end being grounded, gearing and overrunning clutches located in the casing `for rotating the magnet, an oscillating actuator means, one of said over running clutches being located in the gearing adjacent the actuator means and another located in the gearing adjacenty the rotatingmagnet, a retractile spring for the actuator means, a lamp, and a spring which conveys current from the contact to the lamp.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a generator, gearing within the casing for driving the generator which includes a segmental gear, a retractile spring for'the gearing, a lever which extends longitudinally of the casing and on the outside thereof, a pivot for the lever Which has a slotted eye, and a link which is connected to the lever at one end and to the gear at the other end, said link having a shoulder which engages the wall of the casing when the lever is moved to a predetermined positionl to lock said lever against the action of said spring.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto se! my hand this 1st day of May, 1922.

' JAMES Jf. WOOD. 

